To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. (Proverbs 16:)

We plan and dream but we miss one thing and that is to pray. Bible is very clear in how should we build up our prayer life. The whole model fo prayer life is given to us and I will be discussing that model here. Let us start with Jesus Himself;

Jesus spent much of His time in prayer

After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. (Mathew 14:23)

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)

After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. (Mark 6:46)

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:21-22)

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)

Through Jesus' life on earth we learn how Jesus prayed. He drew to lonely places and prayed. He prayed very early in the morning and He prayed at night. He prayed even when He was to be crucified.

Now let us see how most of the Christians pray. First we find people who pray at the top of their voices, so that others may acknowledge that they are holy.

The second type of people only pray to God when they find themselves in trouble. Through Jesus we learn that we should pray on regular basis.

The third type of people are those who get angry at God when they find themselves in difficult situations and do not pray but through Jesus we learn, that whatever the situation may be we must pray to God.

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ. (Philemon 1:3)

Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) wrote powerfully about the need for an intimate relationship with Almighty God, including this: “He who has a pure heart will never cease to pray; and he who will be constant in prayer, shall know what it is to have a pure heart.”

PRAISE

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